By Steve Sherack
'TDN Rising Star' Colloquial (Vekoma), a front-running winner of Keeneland's Lafayette S. Apr. 7, will make his next start in the GI Woody Stephens S. on the blockbuster GI Belmont Stakes program at Saratoga June 7.
He worked four furlongs in :47.60 (5/54) at trainer George Weaver's Keeneland base Thursday morning, his second breeze since winning the Lafayette. He'll ship up to the Spa this weekend, per Weaver.
“He's training well, we're looking forward to raceday,” Weaver said. “He's proven that the talent is there. Now, it's just a matter of doing it in a big race.”
Colloquial faced pressure throughout and drew clear in the stretch to score by 2 1/4 lengths in the seven-furlong Lafayette, good for an 88 Beyer Speed Figure.
He earned a gaudy 106 Beyer in his prior start, a jaw-dropping, seven-length maiden win over the Chick Lang S.-bound One Nine Hundred (Dialed In) in his sophomore debut off the bench at Aqueduct Feb. 7. Only two 3-year-olds have run faster races on the Beyer scale this year–Journalism (Curlin) (108) and Magnitude (Not This Time) (108).
Colloquial's debut second–beaten just a nose by Fierceness (City of Light)'s full-brother and subsequent GIII Futurity S. winner Mentee–at Aqueduct last June was highlighted in our 'Second Chances' series.
The $240,000 Keeneland September graduate is campaigned in partnership by Harrell Ventures and Starlight Racing. Colloquial hails from the first crop of the promising Spendthrift Farm stallion and Weaver-trained Vekoma, who is already responsible for a quartet of graded winners.
Colloquial was produced by the John Oxley-bred, two-time winner Terminology (Bernardini). His third dam is Oxley's GI Kentucky Oaks heroine Gal in a Ruckus. He was bred in Kentucky by Michael and J.B. Orem.
Watch the full replay as COLLOQUIAL turns back the challenge and captures the Lafayette (L)! pic.twitter.com/Ax9Xu6fbh1
— Keeneland Racing (@keenelandracing) April 7, 2025
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